Global Advocacy/Conversation hours and Events

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Other Upcoming Events

1. Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum 2023
2. UN Global Digital Compact discussions 2023
3. Internet Governance Forum 2023
4. Wikimania 2023: If our sessions are accepted.
5. WikiConference North America 2023: If our sessions are accepted.
6. WikiIndaba 2023: If our sessions are accepted.

Monthly Conversation Hours

The Global Advocacy team hosts conversation hours at the end of every month (see below for exact date and time), which you can join via video call.

The purpose of these conversation hours is to create a dedicated space for the Foundation's Global Advocacy team to engage directly with Wikimedia volunteers, affiliates, and staff. These forums are an opportunity for us to answer questions about how the Foundation pursues advocacy work, or about your own projects and initiatives, and to connect, share, and learn from each other in a consistent manner.

Come and talk to us! Ask us anything, or tell us anything, related to public policy and advocacy initiatives for free knowledge online. For example:

• You want to learn more about how the Foundation pursues advocacy work alongside other teams, as well as ongoing and current initiatives
• You would like to share a policy development or advocacy campaign idea and would like to get feedback or support
• You have questions about a specific WMF policy priority or development

This is the first time our team has hosted consistent conversation hours. The current format is an experiment in order to facilitate more direct interaction. We would be glad to hear your feedback and/or comments on the talk-page.

How it works

Platform: Our calls are videochats via the Zoom platform. Anyone can join.

Recording/Resources: Our calls are recorded as of August, due to participant requests. Recordings of the call and slide decks used during the presentations will be uploaded to the "Log of Previous Conversation Hours" section at the bottom of this page.

Time: We will have two calls to accommodate timezones (Asia-Pacific friendly time and Europe-Africa-Americas friendly time).

Structure: We will have at least 2 members from the Global Advocacy team be present at each office hour for discussion. Most calls start with 20-30 minutes dedicated to a certain topic, often with a guest speaker, and then we turn it over for Q&A from the community. The second portion of the call does not have to relate to the topic discussed in the first half of the call. Talk to us about whatever you want!

We collect your topics to discuss in the etherpad linked below.

Upcoming Conversation Hours

Ad-hoc conversation hour on the Global Digital Compact Join the WMF Global Advocacy team to learn more about the Global Digital Compact, how and why the Wikimedia Foundation has participated, and how Affiliates can engage. You can read [[<tvar name=1>c:File:Wikimedia_Foundation_(30_April_2023)_-_Contribution_to_Global_Digital_Compact.pdf|the Wikimedia Foundation's submission]].

• Monday, June 26 @ 12:00 UTC | Zoom | Meeting ID: 870 8226 0165
• Friday, June 30 @ 16:00 UTC | Zoom | Meeting ID: 876 0059 3243

About the Global Digital Compact:
This international effort is meant to create a framework that will shape the future of digital cooperation in a way that will promote homogeneous policies that put human rights at the core. This Compact is a unique opportunity to work with allies to promote a positive, global vision of the internet that protects our model, fights against false and misleading information, and upholds human rights. For this reason, the Wikimedia Foundation decided to engage in this process, offering input on several issues.

There are no more regularly upcoming conversation hours. We completed our pilot from June - October 2022. We will start another version in early 2023 once we receive more feedback on how to adjust and improve the format and content of these conversation hours. You can share your feedback on this talk page or via the MSG forum.

Log of Previous Conversation Hours

Notes from all calls can be found in the etherpad.

• October 30, 2022. Asia-Pacific focus on WMF public policy priorities for the free knowledge movement. Watch recording. (password is g.5cyBP.). Slides.
• October 28, 2022. Europe-Africa-Americas focus on WMF public policy priorities for the free knowledge movement. Watch recording (password is!i$SsyF3). Slides.
• September 29, 2022. Topic: Anti-surveillance work within the Free Knowledge Movement, ft. Pepe Flores (Wikimedia Mexico) and a WMF perspective presented by Kate Ruane (lead USA Public Policy Specialist). See presentation on [anti]surveillance in Mexico.
• September 24, 2022. Topic: Anti-surveillance work within the Free Knowledge Movement ft. Andri Humardhani (Wikimedia Indonesia). See presentation.
• August 27, 2022 (8:00 UTC). Topic: Movement approaches to copyright advocacy. Speakers: Dimi Dimitrov (Wikimedia Brussels) and Amanda Lawrence (Wikimedia Australia). Slide deck of EU copyright campaigns. See recording, use password: X@9FRG5k
• August 26, 2022 (14:00 UTC). Topic: Movement approaches to copyright advocacy. Speakers: Dimi Dimitrov (Wikimedia Brussels) and Douglas Scott (Wikimedia South Africa). For a campaign example See Copyright advocacy in South Africa and slide deck about EU copyright campaigns.
• July 28, 2022 (EXTENDED time) (17:00-18:30 UTC). Topics: 1) Wikimedia's Approach to Anti-Disinformation; 2) Human Rights Impact Assessment. Speakers: Ricky Gaines (WMF) and Costanza Sciubbia Caniglia (WMF). See slide deck.
• July 28, 2022 (12:00 UTC). Topic: Human Rights Impact Assessment. Speaker: Ricky Gaines (Wikimedia Foundation). See slide deck.
• June 29, 2022. Topic: Disinformation. Speaker: Costanza Sciubbia Caniglia (Wikimedia Foundation).

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